INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSINTERNATIONAL RELATIONSGeneral Description:
Drake offers an International Relations (IR) major available to students through the College of Arts and Sciences. The study of international relations has traditionally been regarded as a subfield in the larger discipline of political science. Consistant with this tradition, Drake's IR program is housed in the Department of Politics and International Relations and is centrally addressed to the political dimensions of interstate relations. Yet the IR major's interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a recognition that political phenomenon cannot be grasped in isolation. Diverse sets of knowledge are relevant to a fuller understanding of international affairs.
The IR major is designed to prepare students to take part in an increasingly interdependent global community. With emphases on political, economic and security affairs, the curriculum offers students an opportunity to explore both the sources of international conflict and the necessary conditions for enhanced peace and cooperation among nations. To this end, the major includes courses drawn principally from the fields of politics, history, economics, geography and foreign languages, as well as from several others. Drake's program serves as the undergraduate analog of graduate programs in international relations such as Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and George Washington's Elliot School of International Affairs. Graduates of Drake's IR program are well prepared for further study in international affairs as well as careers or further schooling in areas such as government, politics, business, law, education and the non-profit sector.
Administration of the Major:
The IR program is administered by the department of Politics and International Relations. The Chair of the Department of Politics and International Relations appoints the Director of the IR program (currently, David Skidmore) from among the department faculty. Advising is divided among those members of the Department of Politics and International Relations who teach courses in the IR major.
Curriculum:
The curriculum of the IR major is subdivided into several distinct sets of requirements: (1) All students majoring in IR must take two years of college-level training in a foreign language or demonstrate an equivilent competence. (2) All students are required to take a set of courses listed in the Basic Core. (3) Students must take 12 hours of courses from among those listed under the Comparative Perspectives area. (4) Students must take 12 hours of courses from among those listed under the Thematic Perspectives area. (5) All students are required to take a capstone course called the International Relations Seminar.
The Center for Global Citizenship:
The Center for Global Citizenship, established in the Fall of 2002, seeks to educate students to function effectively in different cultural contexts, and to see their own culture from the perspective of others. The Center also works to ensure that global perspectives and issues are an integral part of the intellectual and cultural experience of all members of the Drake community. The Center sponsors a variety of programs and activities for faculty, staff and students. For information, visit the Center for Global Citizenship web site or contact Center Director David Skidmore.
Model United Nations - Model European Union
During alternate years, Drake students participate in regional Model United Nations and Model European Union programs. Students who take Politics 170, "The United Nations and Global Security" have the option of participating in a Model United Nations simulation. Similarly, students who take Politics 170, "The Politics of European Integration" have the option of participating in a Model European Union simulation. In addition to the normal three hour class credit, Model UN and Model EU participants receive a fourth credit. For information on Drake's Model United Nations team, please contact Professor Debra DeLaet. For information on Drake's Model European Union team, please contact Professor Eleanor Zeff.
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